Fastener for laces, straps, and the like



May 13 1924. 1,493,604

A. L. COCHRANE FASTENER FOR LACES, STRAPS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 14 1923 Patented May 13, 1324-.

ARTHUR- LEWIS COGHRANE, OF 'IORQNEO, ONTARIG, SANADA FASTENER FOR LACES, STRAPS, AND THE. LIKE.

Application filed March 14, 19213.

To a]? Will-07H it Hwy concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR I1. Cocrr' KANE. of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario. Canada, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Laces, Straps, and the like, of which the following is a speci fication.

With boots and shoes as now manufactured, it is necessary to tie the ends of the laces into a bow or knot to keep the boot or shoe properly laced. There is always more or less trouble with. such hows orknots becoming untied, unless the ends are tied into such a knot that it is difficult to loosen even when it is desired to do so. This is very objectionable, and my object therefore, is to devise means by which the tying of bows or knots may be avoided, and yet the ends of the laces will be securely held so as to keep the shoe properly laced.

It will be understood, of course, that while the invention is particularly adapted for boots and shoes, it is also adapted for securing the ends of ropes, ties, straps, webbing and the like, and the term lace throughout the specification and claims is to be interpreted as including any of these.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a front elevation of part of the upper of a boot showing my invention applied thereto;

Fi 2 a front view of a modified construction of the same;

Fig. 3 a front view of a further modified construction of the same;

Fig. a side view of the fastener shown in Fig. 1;

F 5 a side view of the fastener shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. but showing a modification of the construction of the spring hook.

Fig. 7 a longitudinal sectional view of the fastener shown in Fig. 5.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

l is the upper of a shoe and 2 the usual eyelets for the lace. In place of the usual upper eyelet, I provide the fastener I will now describe. The fastener comprises tubu- Serial No. 625,131.

lar rivets 10, which tubular rivet occupies the positioirusual'ly occupied by the upper eyelet, and is held in position in the usual manner by l-ipsetting' its end. Extending from onev side of the tubular rivet is the tongue8. Integral with the tongue are the prongs 11, one at each side thereof. These prongs are preferably located close to the tubular rivet, so as to leave the other end of the tongue 3 free of connection with the shoe, but the position of these prongs will be such that when the fastener is secured to the shoe by the prongs, the tongue 3 will tend to lightly hug the shoe.

I find, however, that additional security is obtained by providing the clamping member shown in Fig. 2, hingedly connected with the main portion of the fastener. The end of this clamping member is so positioned that when in clamping position, a lace passing through the tubular rivet will be clamped tightly against the side of the latter.

This clamping member may be secured in position in any suitable manner. The tongue 3 is provided with a shoulder 5 against which the heel of the clamping member abuts, the clamping member being held in this position by means of a hook 6 engaging in an opening 7 in the clamping member. This hook may be formed by being stamped out of the tongue 3 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, or may be formed by doubling the end of the tongue back on itself as shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 3 I show the clamping member provided with an opening 8 through which the lace may pass. This eye, it will be seen on reference to the drawings, is arranged eccentrically relative to the opening through the tubular rivet. so that when the clamping member is in clamping position, the lace will be clamped between the opposite sides of said openings. This construction is of advantage when it is desired to engage the end of the lace with the fastener at the opposite side of the shoe instead of under the tongue 3 of the same fastener, as the lace will hold the clamping member no matter which way it is directed.

The fastener need not necessarily be of spring material as the shoe and foot will give sufiiciently to permit catching the end of the lace under the tongue 3.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised a construction which will satisfactorily attain the objects IOU of my invention as set out in the preamble of this specification.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. A fastener tor laces and the like comprising a tubular rivet having a spring tongue extending from one side thereof. said tongue being bent adjacent the rivet to form a shoulder: a sprint, hook formed on said tongue; and a clamping member one end of which abuts against said shoulder and is engaged by said hook, said hook normally tending to hold the clamping member in clamping position, said clamping member being adapted to engage a lace against the side of the opening through the rivet.

2. A fastener for laces and the like coinprising, a tubular rivet having a spring tongue extending from one side thereof, said tongue being bent adjacent the rivet to form a shoulder; a spring hook formed on said tongue; and a clamping member one end of which abuts against said shoulder and is engaged by said hook, said hook normally tending to hold the clamping member in clamping position. said (damping member having an openingtl'ieretln'ougi'h arranged eecentrically of the opening through the rivet.

Signed at Toronto, Ontario, this 28th day of February, 1923.

ARTHUR LIGlVlS COCHRANE. 

